EFA’S JANUARY GRANT TO SETTLE ALLOWANCES

MBABANE - The long wait for payments of the national team, Sihlangu players’ allowances will soon end as the EFA has promised to settle them next month.

Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Frederick Mngometulu, clarified the issue yesterday. The players are reportedly owed over E300 000 for their participation in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and African Nations Championship (CHAN) assignments. Mngometulu said the issue, which had threatened to throw a spanner in the works for tomorrow’s game against Madagascar, had been addressed with the players beforehand.

The cash-strapped organisation is likely to receive grants from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to clear the arrears. “One could say that before our first leg game against Madagascar, we met with the players and had discussions. They were told that they would receive their pending allowances in the upcoming month,” Mngometulu said.

He mentioned that there are certain times they receive grants from the FIFA and CAF. The CEO said resources are not always available, a situation worsened by the lack of an internationally-accredited stadium in the country. “For now, the players haven’t received their standard rate allowances, which they get for each game. What has happened is that they have been given pocket money, which is not counted as an allowance,” he further explained.

Delegation

Recent reports indicated that players were given E400, while E4 000 was received was Coach Zdravko Logarusic allegedly as part of the allowances. However, players are entitled to E3 000 each for a victory, E1 500 for a draw, and E1 000 for a defeat, which also extends to all delegation members for a game. Additionally, players are paid training allowances.
However, sources reveal that the allowances backlog includes the last four AFCON Qualifiers against Guinea Bissau, Mali and the back-to-back clashes against Mozambique. There are also the two first-round CHAN wins against Zimbabwe.

This publication, however, recently reported that each player was entitled to around E15 000, taking their allowances bill to over E300 000 from those games. Additionally, there will now be allowances for the two legs of the second-round match against Madagascar. “The greatest challenge we face as a country now is hosting home games outside the country. This is costly and at times forces some compromises when preparing for games because, as you go beyond the border, you pay for every service as opposed to playing in your own country,” Mngometulu further said.

Paramedics

Services that come at a fee when hosting in a foreign land include, among others, security by police and emergency services provided by paramedics. They would be free of charge locally. Mngometulu lamented difficulty in bring the private sector on board when hosting beyond the country’s borders. “It’s our prayer that we will be able to host in the country (Somhlolo National Stadium) by the end of the upcoming year, so we can do everything to our full potential,” he said. He mentioned that they are praying that Somhlolo could be fit by March next year, when they have to host Cameroon in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

The CEO also said the international subsidies could not be used for the construction of the stadium. Mngometulu was speaking on national radio, Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) sports show. It is worth noting that EFA’s neighbours; the South Africa Football Association (SAFA), has had similar cash flow challenges. This resulted in its failure to pay Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana match bonuses for the past three months. However, Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie rescued them with R5 million for the payment of outstanding salaries and bonuses.  

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